Reina: Return of the Princess (*COMPLETE*)

Chapter Six

Yesterday, I was normal. Today I don't even know who I really am. Tomorrow I don't know if I will still be alive.

Gavin touched her on the shoulder and told her they needed to get going. Corinne's hair felt fuzzy so she quickly grabbed a mirror and brush from her backpack. She looked like she had just woken up. Corinne ran the brush through her long blond hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She noticed her left pointy ear and couldn't decide if she should put her hair back down. She decided against it and put on her muddy shoes again. Her feet felt like she was scraping them against rocks when she put them back on.

Her blisters were throbbing, and all she wanted to do was take off her shoes and take a little break. As they walked in this new place, the trees were listening to them. The flowers leaned in as they passed.

Corinne looked around at the strange new world she had just entered. Nothing in her life could have prepared her for the beauty of Aladarien. It was absolutely ethereal. There were so many shades of green. The trees were more vibrant and more colorful than anything she had seen on Earth. The landscape was picturesque with long lush grass, large majestic mountains, and beautiful flowers everywhere. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be water; lakes, waterfalls, streams, and ocean. During the middle of the day, the sky was different shades of orange, with tinges of pink and purple resembling a sunset. Corinne felt like she was peering at a world through rose-colored glasses that she couldn't take off or wouldn't want to for that matter. The climate should be tropical, yet it wasn't. They were in a very large forest and the air was crisp and intoxicating. Everything was alive - the trees, shrubs, clouds, flowers, everything.

Corinne stumbled off of the rock and pushed her way through the thick brush, trying to keep up with Gavin and Bria. Gavin decided he better set some rules in order to keep the girls safe.

He leaned in and whispered, "First off, while we travel, I want you to go by your human name Corinne. We don't want anyone, not even the trees, to know who you are. Do you see those trees way over there?" He pointed up the mountain over to the tall skinny tress with twisty vines hanging down.

"Yes, I see them."

"Those are Femar trees and they report to the Elves. Try to steer clear of them and keep yourself hidden as much as you can if you spot them. Because the Elves are doing everything in their power to find you, nobody but me knows where you are. We won't have any help. We are taking the long way to the castle since the Elves will never expect it."

Talking Trees? Castles? Elves? Really?

She tried to take it all in. Gavin was talking but his voice was just a distant hum.

"Corinne!" Gavin snapped. "Please focus. This is really important."

"Okay, okay, I'm listening," she stammered.

"I will become a horse and let you both ride on my back occasionally so that we can make quicker time, but you must understand that I can't allow myself to get too tired. I have to be ready to defend you at all times and if I'm exhausted and can't fight, then this whole thing would be pointless. We have a long way to go until Brimsdelle and we have to stay hidden and avoid the Femar trees. Now when you get to the castle, you will go by your royal name - Reina, understood?"

Corinne said, "Yes sir!"

"This isn't a game Corinne. This is serious and I don't want anything to happen to you. I have watched over you for eight years, and I don't want all of my hard work to be wasted over a stupid mistake," he said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. "And, that goes for you too Bria. No mistakes, got it?"

Bria rolled her eyes at him and responded, "Reeearrrrr!"

Corinne furrowed her eyebrows at Gavin, "There is no need to be rude, Gavin."